Monday, June 24, 2013

Busy spring

The past month was full of many things -- many things and many anniversaries. But not much blogging.Ryan and I marked one year down (and 70+ to go).

Unfortunately, Ryan didn't particularly enjoy either our wedding day (being completely exhausted) or our 1st anniversary (being house-bound with burn injuries). Maybe next May will have something better in store for the poor man.Nevertheless, without leaving the house, somehow he still arranged for fresh roses and a grilled steak dinner to appear. I gotta say, that guy makes things happen.

My parents quietly celebrated their 33rd anniversary together. Over the course of three decades, if those two ever had an argument, nobody ever knew. I'd say it's some kind of magic, but it's really the total credibility each of them lends to the other.Or maybe their sense of discretion.E.g. Dad quietly to us: "You know that dress-quilt hybrid your mother's been wearing? Make it disappear."In health care, the current PR trend/recommendation is to "manage up." It means to speak well of the next shift, vocalize your confidence in the nurse who will assume care from you, and make your patients feel that they will be in good hands. Set your partner up for success. (i.e. "After shift change, Jessica will be taking care of you. She's really terrific.") Bad mouthing your coworkers accomplishes nothing good and undercuts the team. Mom and Dad had each other's back. Every. Single. Time.{and . . . I don't seem to have a picture of the two of them on my hard drive. They exist; I promise}Mr and Mrs Kane also wed 33 years ago. With Joseph gone, I can't imagine walking a more difficult path than the one they've tread these past few weeks. But this duo is a rock steady team, and I am so blessed to have had them shape my childhood and share their family life with me

@ our wedding

. . . even when it involved their daughters' homemade music videos with blaring 80's music and white toga dancing parties on their front lawn at 2am.Mr & Mrs T, my parents-in-law: To know them is to love them.

I am so grateful they have welcomed me the way they have--always unassuming, non judgemental, & gracious. Years before I ever took their last name, they made me feel like family. So many newspaper advice columns are dedicated to solving horrific in-law problems. Meanwhile, my father-in-law is mowing my lawn and my mother-in-law is washing and saving me all her used plastic containers (I re-use them as disposable lunch boxes.)And, while I look forward to knowing her better in the years to come, I must admit to already feeling a certain camaraderie with Mrs. T. I feel like we're married to the same person. She got T-man version:Baby-Boomer and I got the T-man Millennial.In a nutshell, thank God for good parents.